Talking House Transmitter Instruction Manual - page 8
8
best Placement
inside a location
Placement of the Transmitter Inside a Location
After determining the best frequency, it’s time to choose the location inside the house where the Transmitter will
sit. Proper placement of the Transmitter inside the house is essential to gaining the best possible reception and
distance while using the basic antenna.
In general, it is best to put the Transmitter toward the front of a house,
and on the second floor. But, not right on the front wall of a house.
Here’s why: AM radio waves have a hard time going through brick,
steel, stucco, and even glass. Plus, AM radio waves, literally, bounce
off the ground as the means by which they broadcast their
signal. Therefore, the higher off the ground you get the Transmitter
and antenna, the further the signal will travel. This is why 2nd floors
and attics work so well. Plus, by positioning it 10 to 15 feet back from the front wall of the house, it gives the signal
more opportunities to find its way out. The garage is often a good alternative, too, if you put it high up on a shelf.
Because of the problems with glass, never put a Transmitter directly in front of a window. You’ll want to choose a
location where the basic antenna will remain undisturbed as it should not be moved or touched after it is positioned.
Positioning the Basic Antenna
About the Basic Antenna. The Talking House Transmitter comes with a three-meter (approximately 10’) attached
black, rubberized wire antenna. This is the maximum length permitted by the FCC. The Transmitter has been
designed to calibrate to this three-meter wire. Altering the length of this wire will prevent the Transmitter from
accurately performing this function and will subsequently cause calibration problems. Therefore, substitution
of a longer antenna will not increase the range and may actually reduce it. Once the Transmitter is calibrated, the
antenna can not be touched or moved, as this will compromise the tuning. It is very important that you tell this to
everyone in the house who may come in contact with the Transmitter.
Positioning the Basic Antenna. Follow the steps below to position the Basic Antenna. Each time the Transmitter
is unplugged or moved, or the basic antenna has been disturbed, this procedure must be repeated.
Plugging in the Transmitter
Step
Action
1
Uncoil and fully extend the antenna. This must be done BEFORE plugging in the Transmitter to
allow the Transmitter to properly calibrate.
2
ALWAYS plug the power pack into a wall outlet FIRST, then plug the other end into the Custom Power
Unit jack located on the back of the Transmitter. While this may seem peculiar, the Transmitter
just prefers this method, so make it happy.
RESULT: The Transmitter will begin calibrating itself. When it is
done, the frequency appears on the display panel. If the Transmitter takes longer than two minutes to calibrate,
or displays ERR on the Display Panel, refer to pages 11 - 12.
Place Transmitter 10-15 feet
from front wall
Place Transmitter
as high off the ground
as possible
OUTDOOR
ANTENNA
CONNECT
ANTENNA
SELECT
TWO-PART
MESSAGE
SELECT
Part 1 Part 2
CUSTOM POWER
INPUT
120 VAC
Remove key to prevent changes
to message or frequency
Basic Outdoor
ISD4004-8
SPEAKER VOLUME
Must be OFF when using a
microphone to avoid feedback
18 VDC
BACK-UP MICROPHONE:
Speak into vent on cabinet top
LINE INPUT
500mV
PP
/10K
WITH AGC
TRANSMIT MODE SWITCH
Message Chip Live Radio
5 minutes
Second
Plug into jack on back
panel of Transmitter.
First
Plug the power pack
into the wall socket.